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1 in 3 South Koreans living alone in 'superaged' era
South Korea’s demographic structure is shifting at its fastest pace yet, with the share of single-person households surpassing 36 percent for the first time last year and the senior citizen population crossing the 10 million mark, new government data showed Sunday. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s statistics yearbook on social security, the number of single-person households reached a record high of nearly 8.05 million last year. This marks a sharp rise from 5.2 million househol
Nov. 30, 2025 -
YouTuber helps locate missing disabled man during livestream
A South Korean YouTuber and his viewers helped a man with a cognitive disability return home safely in an unlikely but fortunate encounter with the missing man during a livestream in Gwangju. The YouTuber 2ro2, who has some 143,000 subscribers as of Sunday, was conducting a live broadcast on the streets of the southwestern city on Nov. 21 when he encountered a man wearing a blue jacket. The man told him he was a 23-year-old college student, to which 2ro2 responded with confusion as he appeared t
Nov. 30, 2025 -
No. of single-person households tops 8m in 2024: data
The number of single-person households has climbed to a record high of over 8 million, data showed Sunday, with estimates suggesting the trend will continue as the country grapples with a stagnant birth rate and an aging population. The number of single-person households came to 8.05 million as of end-2024, accounting for 36.1 percent of the total, according to a social security factbook released by the welfare ministry. The figure has been on a steady rise from 5.2 million in 2015 to 6.64 milli
Nov. 30, 2025 -
Coupang's data breach undetected for five months, triggering customer alarm
Anxiety and frustration are mounting following a massive data breach at e-commerce giant Coupang that local observers noted Sunday may have been ongoing for months. On Saturday, the US-listed company confirmed personal information belonging to 33.7 million customers -- nearly its entire user base -- had been compromised. The breached data includes names, phone numbers, email addresses and delivery addresses. The company said payment information, credit card numbers and login credentials were not
Nov. 30, 2025 -
Foreign residents in S. Korea top 2.8 mln for first time in Oct.
The number of foreigners residing in South Korea surpassed 2.8 million for the first time in October, driven by increases in long-term stays for work, study and seasonal employment, government data showed Saturday. According to the immigration data from the justice ministry, 2,837,525 foreign nationals were registered as staying in the country as of October, up 3.6 percent from the previous month. The foreign resident population had hit a pre-pandemic peak of 2.524 million in 2019, then fell sha
Nov. 30, 2025 -
A320 software fix unlikely to affect flights in S. Korea
A large-scale software-related recall for Airbus' A320 family of jets is not expected to cause major flight delays or cancellations in South Korea, as required software updates are set to be completed within hours, the transport ministry said Saturday. Of the 80 A320-family aircraft operating in South Korea, 42 are subject to the global recall. As of 6 p.m., 40 had undergone the required software update, with the remaining two slated for completion before midnight, according to the Ministry of L
Nov. 30, 2025 -
Coupang says 33.7m customer accounts exposed in data leak
E-commerce giant Coupang Inc. said Saturday it has confirmed personal information from 33.7 million customer accounts was exposed, far higher than the 4,500 accounts initially believed to be affected. The updated figure suggests that nearly all Coupang customers may have had personal information -- including names, phone numbers, email addresses and delivery addresses -- compromised. However, the company said payment information, credit card numbers and login credentials were not accessed. "Unau
Nov. 30, 2025 -
Queer festival returns after 3-year hiatus
After a three-year pause, the Gwangju Queer Culture Festival returned to the city’s iconic Geumnam-ro in Dong-gu, South Jeolla Province, on Saturday, drawing about 2,000 participants under the theme “Mudeung: Rainbow-colored absolute equality.” According to the festival’s organizing committee, this year’s event saw the participation of LGBTQ individuals and allied civil society groups from across the country. The crowd gathered not only to celebrate queer culture but also to advocate for the ena
Nov. 29, 2025 -
Ultrafine dust estimated to have claimed nearly 3,000 extra lives in 5 years: study
Fine particulate matter in Seoul is thought to have driven up the mortality rate for ischemic heart disease in the city by several thousand between 2016 and 2020, a recent study showed. The study, led by Professor Hong Yun-chul of Seoul National University's Institute of Environmental Medicine, investigated the effects of fine particulate matter on this particular heart disease, looking at cases in the five-year span. It was found that for individuals aged 25 and up, an estimated 2,861 excess de
Nov. 29, 2025 -
Whiter skin for sale: South Korea’s glutathione dilemma
By Morgan Norris I walked into Olive Young, often dubbed the “Sephora of Korea,” and asked which products they’d recommend for skin whitening. After visiting multiple branches across Seoul from Gangnam to Myeongdong, one product kept surfacing as a recommendation: glutathione. Initially known for its antioxidant and detoxifying properties, glutathione gained traction in Korea during the 2010s, hyped by influencer endorsements and aggressive marketing. Intravenous, oral and topical forms became w
Nov. 29, 2025 -
Airbus' A320 software recall unlikely to disrupt flight schedules in S. Korea: ministry
Over 40 Airbus A320-series aircraft currently operating in South Korea are subject to a global software-related recall, but the issue is unlikely to trigger major flight delays or cancellations domestically, according to the transport ministry Saturday. On Friday, Airbus issued a large-scale recall order of its A320 family of jets after identifying a software flaw capable of causing severe flight-safety issues, including unintended rapid descent. According to the ministry, five Korean carriers -
Nov. 29, 2025 -
Alcohol makers allowed to choose text or pictogram under new warning label system from Sept. 2026
All alcoholic beverages sold in the country will be required to carry visual warning labels depicting the dangers of drunk driving and drinking during pregnancy starting next September, according to officials Saturday. According to the health ministry, visual warning images depicting a liquor bottle, a car and a pregnant woman will become mandatory on soju, beer and all other alcoholic products under a revision to the enforcement rule of the National Health Promotion Act. The changes aim to ensu
Nov. 29, 2025 -
Foreign residents in S. Korea top 2.8m for first time in Oct.
The number of foreigners residing in South Korea surpassed 2.8 million for the first time in October, driven by increases in long-term stays for work, study and seasonal employment, government data showed Saturday. According to the immigration data from the justice ministry, 2,837,525 foreign nationals were registered as staying in the country as of October, up 3.6 percent from the previous month. The foreign resident population had hit a pre-pandemic peak of 2.524 million in 2019, then fell sha
Nov. 29, 2025 -
Main suspect behind murder of S. Korean college student in Phnom Penh arrested
The main suspect behind the torture and killing of a South Korean college student allegedly involved in online scams in Cambodia in August has been arrested, Seoul's spy agency said Friday. The National Intelligence Service said the Chinese national, named Li Guanghao, along with three other Chinese nationals and five South Koreans were taken into custody in Phnom Penh on Thursday through cooperation with Cambodian police. Li is accused of torturing and murdering the 22-year-old student, surname
Nov. 28, 2025 -
Court revokes approval of change in largest shareholder in YTN TV
A court on Friday ruled in favor of employees of all-news TV channel YTN over an approval by the broadcasting regulator that changed the broadcaster's biggest shareholder. In February last year, the then Korea Communications Commission, which was abolished and reorganized as the Korea Media and Communications Commission, decided to approve the application by Eugene ENT Co. to become the largest shareholder of YTN. The Seoul Administrative Court ruled that the regulator's decision was illegitimat
Nov. 28, 2025